Lading separating means



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVE/VTORS:

R. M. LOOMIS ETAL LADING SEPARATING MEANS Jan. 23,1962

Filed April 6, 1959 ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 23, 1962 Filed April 6, 1959 R. M. LOOMIS ETAL LADING SEPARATING MEANS 17A m rif/27g Jan. 23, 1962 R. M. LooMls ETAL.

LADING SEPARATING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 6, 1959 Jan. 23, 1962 R. M. LooMls ETAL 3,017,843

LADING SEPARATING MEANS Filed April 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ll Q u A TTOR/VEVS.

Jan. 23, 1962 R. M. LooMls ETAL LADING SEPARATING MEANSl 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 6, 1959 /M/ENTO/Qs.-

* @@M A iff/QZ ATTORNEYS.

nited btates 'ire 3,017,843 LADEN@ SEPARATING MEANS Russell M.. Loomis, Palos Heights, Adolph G. llnellrnar,

(Chicago, and .lohn S. Lundi/all, Parli Ridge, lill., assignors to Union Asbestos Rubber tCompany, @Thi1 cago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 304,328 Claims. (Cl. 10S-376) This invention relates to lading separating means and more particularly to doors movable to different positions in railway cars, trucks and the like for dividing the same into separated lading receiving compartments. l

It is highly desirable in railway cars, trucks and the like to divide the lading space into different compartments to prevent shifting of the lading in either partly or fully loaded conditions and to limit access to different portions of the car during loading or unloading. The present invention relates to lading separating means of this type and has for its principal object the provision of such means which effects complete separation of the lading space into separated compartments, which is easy to use in loading and unloading a car, or similar vehicle, and which has -a high degree of flexibility.

Another object is to provide lading separating means in which the lading is separated by doors pivoted at their tops centrally of their width on carriages movable transversely of the car on beams which are in turn movable lengthwise of theA car on tracks. With this construction, the doors can be located at substantially any desired position in the car in either their open or closed positions and are easily swung to their open or closed positions.

Still another object is to provide lading separating means in which the doors are carried by offset arms on the carriages offset toward the side walls of the car so that the doors can be moved into dat, overlying Contact with the side walls of the car to be out of the way when not in use.

A further object is to provide lading separating means in which the doors are securely latched in the car in either the open or closed positions thereof so that there will be no accidental movement of the doors.

According to a feature of the invention7 the latching means also serves to latch the beam or beams against movement in the car along the supporting tracks therefor.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES l and 2 are diagrammatic horizontal sectional views illustrating dierent positions of the doors in a car according to the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section through a car equipped with separating means embodying the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the broken line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged partial View similar to FIG- URE 3 showing a door in closed position;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view at a side wall of the car showing the door in open position;

FIGURE 7 is a partial transverse section through the upper part of a car illustrating an alternative construction;

FIGURE 8 is a similar section at the lower part or floor of the car; and

FIGURE 9 is a partial section similar to FIGURE 7 showing the door in open position.

The load supporting means of the invention may be applied to a conventional railway freight car or could be used in the same way in other freight vehicles, such as trucks, trailers, or the like. As shown in FIGURES l and 2, the invention is applied to a railway freight car having parallel spaced side walls il) and Il., end walls l2 and the usual floor and roof, not shown in these figures. The car is provided intermediate its ends with door openings l3 and the entire interior of the car comprises a lading space into which lading to be shipped may be packed.

The load supporting means of the invention is formed by two or more pairs of doors, shown at 14, with one door of each pair being movable lengthwise of the car at one side of the center thereof and with the doors being swingable about vertical axes and being shiftable transversely of the car. In the full line position shown in FIGURE l, the doors are illustrated as being positioned in at, overlying relationship to the opposite ends of the car where they will be out of the way and will present minimum interference to use of the full interior of the car for loading. Alternatively, for storage the doors i4 may be moved to the full line position shown in FIGURE 2 in which they are in flat, overlying relationship with the side walls of the car positioned adjacent to the door openings. The doors may also be positioned in dat, overlying relationship with the side walls of the car at any other desired point or points in the length of the car, depending upon the particular use involved.

When the doors are to be used for separating the lading space into compartments, they may be moved to any of the positions shown in dot-dash lines in FIGURES 1 and 2. In such positions, as indicated, both sets of doors may be located in one end of the car to separate that end into two separate compartments while leaving the other end open or one set of doors may be positioned in one end of the car with the other set being in the other end of the car. Normally, the doors of each pair are aligned, although according to one embodiment of the invention, the doors of a pair may be oiset lengthwise of the car from each other, as indicated at the right in FIG- URE l.

In one embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGURES 3 to 6, the car is provided with side `walls lil and ll, as shown in FIGURES l and 2, with a floor l5 which may be a solid floor, or which may be in the form of racks spaced above the floor and with a roof i6. Elongated tracks I7 are secured to the side walls of the car adjacent to the roof and movably support a beam i8 which extends transversely of the car. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, opposite ends of the beam carry rollers i9 which roll on the tracks I7 and preferably have longitudinally extending arms 2l carrying rollers 22. engaging the tracks so that the beams will not tip on the tracks and will be maintained perpendicular to theI tracks. The tracks, as shown, may be formed of sheet metal channel elements, with the rollers riding on an upturned bottom flange and lying beneath an upper track ange for easy movement along the tracks for engagement of the rollers Z2 with either the top or bottom flanges of the tracks to limit tilting.

Each of the beams 18 may be of inverted channel section with inwardly and upwardly turned anges at its bottom spaced apart to leave an opening therebetween. Carriages, indicated generally at 23, are mounted on the beams for movement therealong transversely of the car and are provided with head portions carrying spaced sets of rollers 24 one of which rides on the inwardly and upwardly turned anges of the beams and the other of which bears against the inside tops of the beams to balance the weight of the doors. Each carriage is provided with a lower arm 25 underlying the beam and offset from the head portion of the carriage laterally toward the adjacent side wall of the car, as clearly seen in FIGURES 3, and 6. As best seen in FIGURE 5, stop elements 26 may be secured within the beams to limit movement of the carriages toward the center of the car to the position they will occupy when the doors are closed.

Pairs of doors 27 are pivotally connected on vertical axes to the ends `of the arms 25 respectively and are of a size to close the car completely when they are in aligned closed position. Each door is pivoted at the central part of its upper edge to an arm 25 for swinging about a vertical axis and carries at its four corners vertically extending latch pins 28 which are movable vertically relative to the doors to latch and unlatch the same in different positions in the car. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the doors are preferably hollow and the latch pins are supported in guide elements 29 at the top and bottom corners of the doors for retraction into the doors or for projection vertically beyond the upper and lower edges of the doors to effect latching. Preferably the latch pins 28 are urged outwardly by springs 31 and may be moved inward to their retracted position by manually controlled latch actuating means of any desired type. As shown, each door is provided with a shaft 32 extending transversely thereacross and adapted to be turned by a handle 33 which may be recessed in an opening in the door when the latch pins are in their extended latching positions. Each end of the shaft 32 carries a cross arm 34 which is connected at its opposite ends through links 35 and lost motion connections with the latch pins. When the handle 33 is recessed in the door, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 4, the arms 34 will extend vertically and the springs 31 will force the latch pins 23 outward beyond the top and bottom edges of the door to a latching position. When the arm is swung downward to the dotted line position of FIGURE 4, the arms 34 will be turned horizontally and will pull the latch pins 28 into the door to release the latches.

The latch pins cooperate with latching strips 36 extending longitudinally of the car adjacent to the side walls thereof and each of which is formed with a series of spaced openings, as seen in FIGURE 4. When the upper pins of the doors are extended, they will enter the openings in the latch strips 36 to hold the door at the upper outer corner thereof against movement. Additionally, the latch pins may project through openings in a latch plate 37 secured to the adjacent end of the beam 18 to latch the adjacent end of the beam against movement on the track 17.

At the center of the car, the doors are latched by having the latch pins 28 at the upper inner edges of the doors enter openings in a latch plate 3S carried by the beam centrally of the length thereof. At the bottom of the car, elongated latch strips 39 are provided extending lengthwise of the car adjacent to the side walls and adjacent to the center line of the car, as best seen in FIGURE 3. These latch strips may be in the form of inverted channels or of hollow beam elements provided in their upper edges with spaced latching openings, as seen in FIG- URE 4, into which the latch pins 28 at the lower edges of the door may extend. Since it is normally not desired to latch the doors in position registering with the loading openings, such as 13, of a car the lower latch strips 39 may terminate at the edges of the loading opening which may be provided with a solid floor, as shown at 41 in FIGURE 4.

For use when the latch operating handles 33 are pulled down to the dotted position shown in FIGURE 4, the doors may be moved to any desired position within the car as, for example, in one of the positions shown in FIGURES l and 2. For this purpose, the beams 18 may be moved longitudinally of the car along the tracks 17 to any desired position within the car. When the doors are then swung to their closed positions, as shown in FIGURE 3, and the latch operating handles 33 are moved upward to the full line position shown in FIG- URE 4, the latch pins at the four corners of each door will engage in the respective latch openings provided in the latch strips 36, the latch plate 38 and the latch strips 39. At this time, each door is securely held in its closed position to divide the lading space of the car into the desired compartments. If the doors are to be moved to the ends of the car for storage, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, they will be latched in such positions in the same manner.

For moving the doors to the side walls of the car, as shown in FIGURE 6, and as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the doors when the latches are released may be moved toward the respective side walls by moving the carriages 23 along the beam 18. Due to offsetting of the arm 25, the end of this arm on which the door is pivoted will extend under the adjacent latch strip 36 and the adjacent track 17, as shown in FIGURE 6, so that the door can be moved into fiat, overlying relationship with the car side wall to occupy a minimum of space in the car. It is therefor apparent that with this construction the doors can be moved easily and quickly to any desired position in the car and can be swung to their open or closed positions to separate the car into compartments or to leave it entirely open, as desired.

The embodiments of FIGURES 7 to 9 is generally similar to that of FIGURES 1 to 6, except that the transverse beam is divided intotwo sections so that the doors can be positioned in offset relationship, as illustrated at the right of FIGURE 1. In this construction, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the car is indicated as having a side wall 45, a ceiling 46, and a oor 47. Tracks 48 are secured to the ceiling of the car adjacent to the side walls and may be constructed similarly to the tracks 17 of FIGURES l to 5. In this instance, the ceiling of the car is reinforced by beam elements 49 and a double center track construction, indicated generally at 50, is suspended from the ceiling at the center line of the car through struts 51 connected to the beam construction 49. The center track construction, as shown, comprises two channel shaped track members 52, generally similar to the tracks 48, and mounted facing outwardly from each other and connected at the bottom through a latch plate 53. The latch plate 53 may extend the full length of the car or may be interrupted opposite to the door openings, as desired, and is formed with a series of longitudinally spaced latching openings throughout its length.

A pair of transverse beams 54, one on each side of the car, are supported for movement longitudinally of the car between the respective pairs of tracks 48 and 52. The beams 54 carry rollers 55 at their ends which may be arranged similarly to the rollers 19 and 22 of FIGURE 4 to support the beams on the tracks for movement longitudinally of the car. Each beam 54 is of inverted channel section, similar to the beam 18 of FIGURES l to 6, to support carriages 56 for movement lengthwise thereof. In this construction, as in that of FIGURES l to 6, each carriage has an arm extending below the beam and offset toward the adjacent side wall of the car and on which a door is suspended.

A door 57 is pivoted on a vertical axis on the free end of each of the arms of the carriages 56 intermediate its width for turning about a vertical central axis in the same manner as in FIGURES l to 6. Each door is provided at each of its corners with a vertically movable latch pin 58, similar to the latch pins 28 of FIGURES l to 6, and which may be operated in the same manner. When the doors are in their closed position, as shown in FIGURE 7, the latch pins 58 thereon at the center of the car will engage latching openings in the latch plate or strip 53. The latch pin 58 at the upper outer corner of each door will engage an opening in a similar latch strip 59 which is secured to each of the tracks 48 adjacent to the side wall of the car.

At the bottom of the car, -as shown in FIGURE 8, elongated latch strips 61 of channel or box section are provided adjacent Ithe sides of the car an-d along the center line thereof in the same manner as in FIGURES l to 6. The latch pins 58 at the lower corners of the door engage openings in the latch strips 61 when the doors are in closed position to latch each door securely at each of its four corners so that the door is held against longitudinal movement in the car.

The doors of FIGURES 7 to 9 can be moved to stored positions adjacent to the ends or the side walls of the car in the same manner as in FIGURES l to 6. As shown in FIGURE 9, a door 57 can be moved to a stored position in flat, overlying relationship to the adjacent side wall of the car by sliding the carriage 56 on which the door is suspended to the extreme end of the beam 5d on which it is mounted toward the car side wall. Due to overhang of the arm on the carriage, the door will be positioned closely adjacent to the side wall of the car and may be securely latched in this position by moving the latch pins outward from the door to engage latching openings in the upper latch strip 59 and the lower latch strip 6l adjacent to the side wall of the car.

FIGURE 7 illustrates another feature in the form of yielding spring detent means which may be used with tbe doors of either of the embodiments illustrated. As shown, the detent means is in the form of pins 62 slidably mounted in the upper edges of the door and urged upwardly by springs 63. At their upper ends the pins carry detent members 64 which are preferably tapered upwardly to be urged into the open groove in the bottom of the beam by the springs. Guide members 65 may extend downwardly into openings in the top of the hollow door `to maintain the detents in the desired aligned position.

When the door is swung to its closed position parallel to the beam, the detents will be yieldingly urged into the open groove in the bottom of the beam yieldingly to hold the door in alignment with the beam. With the door so held by the detents, it may be pushed lengthwise of the car easily and will be yieldingly retained in its closed position aligned with the beam. With the door in closed position the detent near the center line of the car is positioned next to the clip on the lower side of the beam, thereby preventing rolling of door toward side of car While latches are retracted. When it is desired to turn the door -to its open position, turning pressure exerted on the door by an operator will cause the detents 64 to be cammed out of the open slot in the bottom of the beam Without requiring excessive effort on behalf of the operator.

While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be understood that they are illustrative only and not to be taken as a denition of the sco-pe of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a car having spaced side walls, a floor and a roof, lading separating means comprising tracks extending longitudinally in the car adjacent to the roof and projecting inwardly from the car side walls, a transversely extending beam supported on the tracks for movement therealong longitudinally of the car, a carriage mounted on the beam for movement lengthwise thereof, the carriage including an upper head portion movably supported on the beam and an offset arm extending below the beam and laterally toward the adjacent side wall of the car, a door pivoted at its top centrally of its width to the free end of the offset arm, the door being swingable from a closed position transverse to the car to an open position parallel to the side wall and being movable in its open position substantially into flat contact with the adjacent side wall of the car with the offset arm extending beneath the adjacent track and closely adjacent to the side wall, and latch means to latch the door in its open and closed positions.

2. In a car having spaced side walls, a floor and a roof, lading separating means comprising tracks mounted on the side walls of the car `and extending lengthwise of the car adjacent to the roof and the respective side walls of the car and projecting inwardly from the car side walls, a beam movably supported at its ends on the tracks and spanning the car transversely thereof, a pair of carriages mounted on the beam for movement lengthwise thereof, each of the carriages including an arm lying below the beam and offset toward the adjacent side wall of the car, said arms lying beneath the respective tracks when the carriages are moved adjacent to the side walls of the car, a door pivoted at its top centrally of its width on each of the otset arms to be movable substantially into flat engagement with the adjacent side wall of the car, and latching means to latch the doors in different positions in the car.

3. In a car having spaced side walls, a oor and a roof, lading separating means comprising tracks lixedly mounted in the car adjacent to the juncture of the side walls and roof and extending longitudinally in the car adjacent t0 the roof and projecting inwardly from the car side walls, a transversely extending beam supported on the tracks for movement therealong longitudinally of the car, a carriage mounted on the beam for movement lengthwise thereof, the carriage including an upper head portion movably supported on the beam and an offset arm extending below the beam and laterally toward the adjacent side wall of the car, `a door pivoted at its top centrally of its width to the free end of the oiset arm, the door being swingable from a closed position transverse to the car to an open position parallel to the side wall and being movable in its open position substantially into ilat contact with the adjacent side wall of the car with the offset arm extending beneath the adjacent track and closely adjacent to the side wall, latch strips extending lengthwise of the car secured respectively to the tracks and the oor and lying adjacent to the side walls and formed with spaced latching openings therein, a pair of latch strips adjacent to the center line of the car and secured to the roof and floor thereof respectively extending lengthwise of the car and formed with spaced latching openings, movable latch pins carried by the door at the four corners thereof, and operating means carried by the door to move the latch pins, the latch pins respectively engaging in different latching openings in the first and last named latch strips when the door is in closed position and engaging in openings in ythe latch strips adjacent to the side wall of the car when the door is in its open position in flat contact with the side walls.

4. The construction of claim 3 in which at least one of the latch pins at the top of the door engages the beam to latch it against movement on the tracks when the door is in its closed position.

5. In a car having spaced side walls, a floor and a roof, lading separating means comprising a first pair of tracks xedly mounted in the car adjacent to the juncture of the side walls and roof and extending longitudinally in the car adjacent to the roof and projecting inwardly frorri the car side walls, a second pair of tracks secured to the roof at its center line and extending longitudinally of the car, two beams respectively movably supported at their ends C on the tracks of the rst and second pairs of tracks on opposite sides of the center line and together spanning the car transversely thereof, a carriage mounted on each of the beams for movement lengthwise thereof, each of the carriages having an arm offset below the beam on 5 which the carriage is mounted and extending toward the adjacent side wall so that the offset arms can extend beyond the ends of the beams and under the tracks, and doors pivotally mounted centrally of their widths on the .ends of the Varms respectively whereby the doors can be 10 means to latch the doors in different positions in the car.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sweeley et al. Feb. 23, 1937 Angell Apr. 25, 1939 Wells et al. Feb. 27, 1951 

